Christmas in Texas
by GalaxieGurl
Summary: Billy Gibbons takes little Angela back to Texas for Christmas to show her his roots and hometown.


Christmas in Texas

_A/N: I am beyond vexed with myself. I woke up with a great story idea, got it all typed up, was ready to save when I realized I needed to add the title. Hit 'lord only knows' what button, and it disappeared forever. A half-hour of attempts to resurrect it to no avail. After a small tantrum, I poured another cup of butter rum coffee (flavored, not spiked) and started over. This version is okay, but not nearly as clever and funny as the original. Sigh...hope it's enjoyed, nonetheless!_

Billy Gibbons hadn't been home to Texas in a long time. When his Aunt Donna invited him to spend Christmas with her in Tanglewood, he decided to clear his schedule after Thanksgiving and take a few weeks off to recuperate from his strenuous fall concert tour and devote plenty of free time to playing with Angela. The little girl amused herself backstage among his crew and musicians, and had taught herself to read and count after hours with her LeapPad, and playing with concert posters.

Feeling a little guilty at the frequency with which he managed to take her to church when they were on the road, he accompanied his aunt to Tallowood Baptist Church the first Sunday in December, and was amazed at how much the place had grown. Because its spirit was still warm, open, and welcoming, he felt at home despite his years away. The first half of the service, children stayed with their parents; during the latter portion, volunteer teachers gathered the youngsters and took them to a Children's service in the church hall.

After a five-minute mini-sermon by the youth pastor and a short prayer, the kids split up into age groups and went to different classes. Angela had learned to size up adults pretty accurately, and felt comfortable with them as her father's band and crew members were all much older than she was. Her instincts and her dad's approach to this new church left her at ease and she fit right into the five-year old Sunday school class. Liking the friendly teacher Mrs. Gonzalez immediately, she made a couple of new friends rather quickly.

Billy slipped out of the adult service a little early and walked down to the children's wing to pick his daughter up. Pausing outside the doorway, he listened to the easy exchange between teacher and students as the class was winding up. The lady's voice was soft, pleasant, and cheerful. She interacted with her little charges in a relaxed manner, yet maintained control of the exuberant bunch of kiddos.

Backing up a few steps, he walked forward again and poked his head in the doorway.

"Hey, there, I'm Billy Gibbons. Has my Angie been behaving herself?"

"She surely has; a real sweetheart you've got here. I'm Mrs. Gonzalez. She's welcome back any time."

"We're spending the month with my Aunt Donna, so you may just be seeing her again next week. I spent most of my childhood here, and went to this church. It's really grown, but the atmosphere still feels the same."

"If you're going to be here a few weeks, perhaps Angela would enjoy participating in our Children's Program on Christmas Eve. We can always use more lively little singers," the teacher remarked.

"I think that would be a great idea; lemme see what Miss Angie here thinks, though," Billy answered, looking down at his smiling child.

"Can I, Daddy? It would be fun!" Angela enthused.

"Okie-dokey, Mrs. Gonzalez. I guess we'll see you next week!

Over the next twenty days, Billy and Angela enjoyed exploring Tanglewood with Aunt Donna, as he showed her his childhood haunts. Billy remembered modest homes on very spacious lots. His aunt's place was still a three-bedroom ranch style dwelling, well-maintained but moderate in size. However, in the first decades after he moved away, many of Tanglewood's newer residents had built much larger houses, adding stables, tennis courts, swimming pools, and numerous other amenities to the neighborhood. In fact, George and Barbara Bush had lived in the addition before his election to the White House had called them to Washington.

Despite the affluence and cultured surroundings in the immediate area, the population of apartment complexes and smaller houses surrounding the original Tanglewood neighborhood had changed considerably. The schools serving Tanglewood now boasted a diverse ethnic mix of students. Many citizens were of modest means, so that the tax base was not as robust as the area's growth. In addition, the precipitous 1982 decline in oil prices which grew worse in 1986 had drastically hurt Houston's economy and slashed state revenue. Other financial downturns had since followed, further reducing state budgets, so that Texas had found it necessary to cut many school programs and services. Building maintenance suffered greatly as well. Aunt Donna told Billy over dinner one night that his old grade school had lost its arts education funding, with music classes eliminated from the curriculum.

Billy decided that wouldn't do a'tall, and he had to help remedy the situation. Learning music teaches children logical reasoning, discipline, and improve motor skills; sharpening their intellects to comprehend science and mathematics. Language development and temporal-spatial skills increased; and with the accelerated neural activity required to learn music, children's brain networks expanded. IQ's even rose several points.

He approached Briargrove Elementary with an offer to fund music classes in each grade from kindergarten through fifth grade for five years. While instruments like violins or trumpets would have been expensive, everyone is born with a voice. Teaching children to sing and read simple music scores is a low cost way of enhancing their brains. The principal was overwhelmed with his generosity, as his donation would cover the salaries of a music teacher and aide. Billy told her he planned to contact friends in the music industry who called Houston home to aid other schools in a similar manner. No promises, but Texans are known for their big hearts.

The following Sunday Mrs. Gonzalez approached Billy when he came to pick up Angela.

Noting her tentative facial expression, he asked, "Rehearsal go okay; kiddos behavin' for you?"

"Oh, yes, they're doing fine learning their parts. I just wondered if you might do us a favor?"

"Sure, if I can," Billy replied.

"Oh, I know you can; I just hate to impose on you during a time that you obviously want to be a vacation," she said.

"Ask away, I promise I'll try my best to help you out," Billy grinned at her.

"Would you consider composing a simple song the children could sing to close their program?"

"Certainly, I'd be glad to; lemme see what I can come up with…do you have a phone number where

I could get in touch with you mid-week and see what you think of any ideas I have?"

"Of course. In fact, we teachers are meeting Wednesday night while the adult choir practices to firm up our plans for the pageant. If you are able, why don't you stop by and demonstrate?" she invited him hopefully.

"I'll be there," he promised.

On Wednesday night, had the windows been open, a passer-by could have heard a new song. Billy sat down at the piano and sang for them;

"Little Jesus, newly born;

Come from Heaven Christmas morn,

Bless my heart and make me clean

As I watch your manger scene.

Keep me pure, oh Holy Child,

Learning faith and manners mild.

Guide my steps on life's broad way;

Deserving heaven one bless'd day."

His small audience listened in quiet appreciation of its tender verse and simple melody.

"Oh, that's lovely," breathed one gray-haired gentleman.

"You really have a gift," said another teacher.

"I thought you only played "Foxy Lady," remarked a younger man.

"Sure sounds different from 'Honky Tonk Stomp' and 'Treat Her Right'!" agreed his wife.

"I do music, all kinds," Billy told them.

"That's perfect for the children, simple to learn and so sweet," Mrs. Gonzalez smiled. "Thank you so much!"

As the days passed, Billy spent most Sunday mornings working with the children, teaching them the basics of breathing control, voice projection, and harmony as they learned the words and melody he had written.

The 5 pm Christmas Eve program came off with few hitches, other than twin brothers Hector and Xavier Rodriguez poking each other in the ribs between songs, and Leslie Stalton falling off the riser. Fortunately being short, she was standing on the lowest one.

Billy had been so pleased with his young music students that he arranged a little treat for them after the candle-light service ended at 6:45 pm. He'd gone to Morningstar Coffee and ordered enough of their specialty Christmas brew for the Sunday School teachers. Its proprietor, the son of an old Briargrove classmate, arranged to deliver a large insulated thermos container to the church conference room by 6:30, along with a stash of decorated sugar cookies and orange punch for the 30 Sunday school performers. Billy made sure to avoid the kelly green and bright red icing that had ruined Angela's holiday dress the previous year. He requested star shapes frosted in pale blue, silver, yellow and white.

Shooing the surprised delighted teachers off to the conference room, he handed Angela the napkins to place at each chair, poured Styrofoam cups only half full of juice and directed the kids to pick one cookie each.

"If you finish your first, there are plenty for seconds, but we mustn't waste food, right?"

Nodding, the excited kids dug into their treats. Unbeknowst to Billy, the teachers had activated the intercom and eavesdropped as they relished the hot fragrant coffee and enjoyed homemade cinnamon rolls Aunt Donna brought. She joined them to listen in on the kids and Billy.

_I've handled huge crowds, drunk musicians, and doped up rock stars. How hard can rustling 30 children possibly be?_ _Piece a'cake_, he thought to himself.

Except that;

Lisa and Layton Donovan spilled punch on each other.

Molly Proctor tipped her chair so far back, she fell over. Thank goodness for carpeted floors.

Ramona Ramirez choked on a cookie and barfed on her dress.

And that was just at the table nearest the door.

Tommy Heckenkemper and Louis Franzman broke their cookies into chunks and threw them at one another.

Henri Toulouse joined the food fight, and hit Nancy Smethers in the eye.

Benjamin Hamilton thought it appropriate to pull his sister Becca's braids.

Angela watched all this chaos in wonder, glad she was an only child.

Billy removed his trademark knit cap and tugged at his hair in frustration. Then he felt someone tugging his reddish beard. Looking down, he saw Jimmy McGuiness, red-faced, teary-eyed with his legs crossed.

"I hadda go pee but I didn't make it," he wailed.

Charlie Foster and Amanda Ralston both dove for a silver star with gold sprinkles and knocked the cookie box to the floor. Crumbs exploded as it hit the floor.

"Dagnabbit!" Billy exclaimed. "What in tarnation are you getting' up to? All you kids cool it! Settle down!"

After seven minutes of laughing so hard they could hardly breathe, the teachers finished the last of their coffee and pastries, and prepared to rescue Billy before his language became any more colorful. It was time to line up the kids to meet their parents anyway. They were waiting in the corridor.

As the families reunited, Billy found himself surrounded with grateful happy people.

"Thanks for all your help with the church pageant."

"We heard what you've done for the school!"

"You have been so kind to Tanglewood!"

He felt a little badly for losing his composure with the children, and sheepishly smiled at the excited parents, who each felt they needed to tell him how much they'd enjoyed the program and his song, or how much better their child was doing at school. This wasn't nearly all his doing by any means, so he shrugged off their praise, and slipped back to where Angela still sat quietly, if a little impatiently, at her table, waiting for the hubbub to die down so she could once again have her daddy to herself.

Billy and Angela had a memorable Christmas with Aunt Donna. Santa found her red brick house, and left Pookie Noodlin an Easy Bake oven, My Buddy and Rainbow Brite dolls, and a miniature string guitar. Billy had chosen the dolls specifically for being soft and having uncomplicated outfits attached to their bodies, so his little girl wouldn't cry needlessly over misplaced doll clothes anymore. Yummy chocolate chip cookies proved the Easy-Bake Oven advertising to actually be true, much to his surprise.

In years to come, Angela and her father would look back on this Christmas as one of their most fun and unique holidays. She never forgot her dad's kindness to his former hometown, nor his humble 'aw shucks' attitude when people heaped praise upon him. Despite his accomplishments and fame, he was a true blue son of the Lone Star State, never wavering from the down home realism that had made it such an amazing place. She was always proud to call Billy Gibbons her father.


End file.
